Retail industry

Will the real Kurt Weill now please stand up?

Article Abstract:

The life of composer Kurt Weill, who died in 1950, closely reflected the upheavals of the first five decades of the 20th century. He was born in Germany, but lived in Paris, France, between 1933 and 1935 and took US citizenship in 1943. He has gained a recognized place in musical history, but his work is not performed very often. The most common type of performance of his work is an evening of individual songs taken from his stage works, but some observers feel that this is a misguided approached. The South Bank Centre in London, England, is staging a two-part Weill festival.

Bizet - and no bull

Article Abstract:

Two very different productions of Bizet's opera 'Carmen' are currently being prepared. The Welsh National Opera is to perform the opera in French at the New Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, while two casts are to give a run of 10 performances of the opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. The production in London will look to appeal to a very wide audience, as the Royal Albert Hall is very large. In contrast, the New Theatre in Cardiff is small, and the production there will be more unusual, with the singers delivering spoken dialogue.

Shostakovich's brave new world

Article Abstract:

Shostakovich had the potential to write large, popular theatrical works, according to opera director David Pountney, who is staging 'Moscow, Cheryomushki' for Opera North. He indicates that Shostakovich's 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' is clearly a successful large-scale opera.